Trolley conveyer



Nov. 1, 1938. T. UYEHARA TROLLEY CONVEYER Filed March 29, 1938 5Sheets-Sheet l Q/QINVENTOR ATTO R N EYS Nov. 1, 1938 -r UYEHARA2,135,244

TROLLEY CONVEYER Filed March 29, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 .751? ayg a/INVENTOR ATTORNEYS WITNESS Nov. 1, 1938. T. UYEHARA TROLLEY CONVEYER 3Sheets-Sheet 3 WEN Filed March 29, 1938 i in" V v 75%34 zgye/aflaINVENTOR Patented Nov. 1, 1938 PATENT OFFICE TROLLEY CONVEYER TokuUyehara, Paauilo, Territory of Hawaii Application March 29,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to trolleyconveyers and has for an object toprovide a trolley conveyer designed more particularly for conveyingbundles of sugar cane from a cane field to a flume or other 5 conveyancefor transportation to a sugar mill.

A further object is to provide apparatus of this character which will beportable and may be moved longitudinally of the flume as the harvestedbundles of cane are picked up in the field.

A further object is to provide apparatus of this character in which theaerial forks will automatically open when reaching a predeterminedposition at the flume.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of this type in which theaerial forks will be gravity operated in both their loaded and theirempty conditions.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists ofcertain novel details of construction and combinations of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood thatvarious modifications may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims without departing from the spirit of sacrificing any ofthe advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a trolley conveyer constructed inaccordance with the invention, the central portions of the cables beingbroken away.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional View of the wheeled cable supportat the unloading end of the apparatus taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1with parts in elevation.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the wheeled cable support at the loadingend of the apparatus.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, of one ofthe tubular tracks for the cables and showing trolley wheels of theaerial forks.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of the jointed tubular trackwhich lifts empty aerial forks to a respective cable to be returned toloading position.

Figure '7 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 6and showing one of the trolley wheels applied to the tubular track.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the reversed side ofthe hinged track shown in Figure 6.

Figure 9 is an end elevation of one of the trolley wheels and showingthe removable pin for 1938, Serial No. 198,768

locking the wheel stationary on the respective cable while the aerialfork is being elevated from loading position to traveling position.

Figure 10 is a side elevation of one of the aerial forks with parts insection.

Figure 11 is a front elevation of one of the aerial forks with partsbroken away.

Figure 12 is a detail longitudinal sectional view showing the aerialfork locking pin inoperative position to hold the fork closed upon abundle of cane.

Figure 13 is a detail sectional view of the parts shown in Figure 12 butshowing the locking pin in position to permit the aerial fork to dumpthe load.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of referencedesignate similar parts in the various views, l designates a platformwhich is supported upon ground wheels I I to be maneuvered by a tractorl2 or other means of transportation to the end that the platform may belocated at desired points longitudinally of a flume I3 or other deviceto be loaded for transporting harvested cane from a cane field to amill, or railway car.

Rising from the wheeled platform are a plurality of posts M. An inclinedchute I is mounted for vertical adjustment on the post by collars l6 andset screws 11. The chute is provided at the bottom edge with a hingedapron I8 which is adapted to direct material from the chute to thefiume.

Preferably three tubular tracks I9, 20 and 2| are supported bytransverse bars 22 at the upper ends of the posts and by inclined braces23 which rise from the platform, as best shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. Asbest shown in Figure '7 each track is formed of substantially tubularsheet metal slit longitudinally to permit the bracket arms ofhereinafter described trolley wheels to pass longitudinally through thetrack. The material on one side of the slit is directed upwardly andpro- Vided with a bead 24 which forms a rail for the trolley Wheel 25 ofan aerial fork 26 later described.

The tubular tracks at the front portions thereof extend substantiallyhorizontal and are directed downwardly at the rear portions, as bestshown in Figure 1. The intermediate tubular track 20 has the rearportion thereof hinged as 7 shown at 21 to the horizontal front portionso that it may be rocked upward to the horizontal by a block and tackle28.

Each tubular track is provided with a respec- V tive cable upon whichthe aerial forks travel, the

cables being designated by the numerals 29, 30 and 3|. These cables areconnected to'the rails 24' at the front end thereof and as best shownin. Figure 7 5 the connection may be formed through the instrumentality'of a sleeve 32 on the cable screw threadedly engaged with a reducedextension 33 of the track. I

The aerial forks after entering the tubular tracks at the frontendsthereof are automatically dumped on to the chute l5 and continuetravel down the sloped rear ends of the tubular tracks until dischargedon to the ground. Thereupon the aerial fork may be retrieved and placedupon a hook 34 which extends from the rear end of the rail of theintermediate tubular track 20. f

By operating the block and tackle 28 the piv-; oted rear end of thetubular track 2|] may be elevated to a position which inclinesdownwardly from the horizontal thus giving the aerial fork j then beretrieved and placed on one of the outermost cables 29 and 3| forloading ready to begin its return journey to the delivery chute l5.

Each aerial fork comprises a plurality of curved tines 36 connected bycross bars 31, as best shown in Figures 10 andll. A curved latch bar38vis pivotally connected at the bottom to i 7 one of the cross bars 31.The latch bar embraces the bundle 40 of cane. The bundle isheld in thefork through the instrumentality of a chain 4| which is yieldablyconnected to an eye 42 r on the latch bar by a helical spring43, 'A'linkof thechain is hooked over a projecting tongue V 44 formed on a tube 45which is welded to one of the cross bars 31 and is fixed by a post 39 toanother of the cross bars 31, as best shown in Figures 12 and 13., Thespring 43 holds the link of the chainti ghtly in place on the tongue barand to one of the cross bars 31 0f the fork;

contracts and swings the latch bar to open position. The bundle ofcane'gravitates from the.

open fork on to the chute I5 and is" delivered by the apron 3 into thefiume l3.

' By again referring to Figure ,3 it will-be seen that a pair ofU-shaped arms 52 are disposed at the upper end of the chute. The armscontact with the rear side of the; ends of the "bundle '40 of'cane atthe same time the trigger of the aerial fork is tripped by the abutment50 so that a during continued rearward travel of the aerial. I 'fork thebundle of cane will. be thrust forcibly outoflthe open fork. V V H r Attheloading position of the aerial forks the 7 icablesare supported byposts 53 which rise from a platform 54 .supported upon wheels 55 andadapted to be'man'euvered by a tractor 56'. The posts are of such heightthat the cables 29 and 3| for loaded aerial forks will slope downwardlytoward the tubular tracks and facilitate the forkstraveling along thecables to the tracks by grav-' ity. The cables 29 and 3| are trainedover pulleys 51 arranged at the upper ends of the posts and bottomthereof and from thence is trained up- 7 wardly alongthe post and over apulley 62 and from, thence is trained downwardly to a Windlass 63disposed on the post and operated by a crank handle 64. The lowermostpulley 6| is mounted in a bearing 65 which is adjustably mounted in aguide slot 66 formed in the post to vary the slope of the cable 3|].

The cables may all be unwound from their respective windlasses or woundup thereonto accommodate various loading positions of the aerial forkswith respect to the delivery position. Moreover, the cables 29 and 3|are adapted tobe unwound from their respective windlasses to permit'asufficient slack on the cable to lowera forkto ground level, as bestshown in Figure 1, so that a bundle of cane may be scooped up and loadedin the fork through the instrumentality of the heretofore mentionedchain 4| and a cord 61 attached to the end of the chain.

By referring to Figures 5 and 9 it will be seen that the trolley wheelv25 is provided with a plurality of openings 68 which pass. through bothflanges of the trolley wheel. A pin 69 is selectively passed through a'pair of these openings to clamp the trolley wheel stationary uponeither cable 29 or 3| while the slack is being taken up on the cable toelevate the respective aerial fork when loaded upon the ground, to asuflicient Thereupon the pin is'vvithdrawn While the invention has beendescribed in confnection with the conveyance of harvested cane stalks itis obvious that the conveyance of other materials may be equally wellaccomplished where'mobility or portability at thereceivin'g anddischarge ends aswell as variations of the distancesbetweenthereceiving'and discharge ends of the apparatus is desirable. 7

From the above description it is thought that the construction andoperation of the invention will be fully understood without further ex-7 planation. t

I What is claimed is:

1; A trolley conveyer comprising a plurality of I cables, portablesupports for the ends of the cables permitting the trolley conveyerbeing moved bodily along the field while engaged in harvesting or otherwork, 'a' track on one of the supports connected to a'respective one ofthe cables and 7 having a downwardly'extendingrear end, a track 7 on thelast named support connected tolano ther one of the cables and havingahinged rear end terminating in a hook, aerial forks for collectingbundles of grain or other material having trolley wheels engageable withsaid cables, the down wardly directed rearend of one of the tracks Ipermitting of an aerial fork gravitatingto the ground to be retrievedand placed on the fork of the hinged rear end of the other track, meansfor elevating said hinged end with an empty fork thereon for return tothe respective cable for transportation to the field to be loaded, achute disposed below said tracks, and means on the chute for operating aloaded aerial fork to deposit its load on the chute.

2. A trolley conveyer comprising a plurality of cables, portablesupports for the ends of the cables permitting the trolley conveyerbeing moved bodily along the field while engaged in harvesting or otherwork, a track on one of the supports connected to a respective one ofthe cables and having a downwardly extending rear end, a track on thelast named support connected to another one of the cables and having ahinged rear end terminating in a hook, aerial forks for collectingbundles of grain or other material having trolley wheels engageable withsaid cables, the downwardly directed rear end of one of the trackspermitting of an aerial fork gravitating to the ground to be retrievedand placed on the fork of the hinged rear end of the other track, meansfor elevating said hinged end with an empty fork thereon for return tothe respective cable for transportation to the field to be loaded, achute disposed below said tracks, means on the chute for operating aloaded aerial fork to deposit its load on the chute, means on the otherportable support adapted to wind up and pay off said cables toaccommodate changes of distances between both portable supports, andmeans for slacking off one of the cables to receive a loaded aerial forkpreparatory to elevating the fork for its journey by gravitation to thechute on its respective cable.

TOKU UYEHARA.

